The Hokage and the Charming Knight
by MLomg
Summary: A Hokage in a Tower, a Knight in Uniform, a band of ninjas that just wants their Princess to be happy again. Yaoi, Mpreg, Some sort of Shikamaru and Naruto pairing.
1. The Introduction

_**The Hokage and the Charming Knight**  
by Masked Lover_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just write bad fanfics._

_ The limits of this World _

_.  
_

* * *

After the Happy Ending of Naruto Series, Naruto rose up to his rightful place in the world: to rule in his high tower, with his crystal ball and live happily as one Hokage could. 

Throughout the Naruto Series, Naruto Uzumaki grew stronger, learned new techniques, created new moves and won the hearts of the populace in a brush with near death. Orochimaru, Akatsuki, Itachi, and finally Sasuke were all brought to justice, and then our hero could finally settle down to live in the flourishing Fire Country, that seemed to prosper even more with him at it's hearth.

Everything was beautiful, the birth rate was climbing, ninjas were getting married left and right. Everyone was learning to fall in love.

Within his third year he had new branches to the Konoha Main Hospital built, restructured the finances to better utilise the money coming in and out of the country and at the same time help orphaned children and their needs. He was the very vision of a hero. Everyone noticed the effort, and showered him with more accolades than he had ever dreamed of. His name had spread through the country, even to other villages and many young boys aspired to be him. Konoha's splendour was growing immense by his handiwork and prospering.

Naruto had indeed become the face of generosity and in seeing his face, his once friend Sasuke had become terrified.

Where was that clumsy fool who couldn't tell Sakura his feelings, where was the boy who ran around shouting pipe dreams that became curving dragons.

Sasuke's visage had become the face of greed. He wallowed in his jealously, shutting out his friends, Sakura and Naruto. He grew envious of Naruto, grew jealous of his fame and his kindness and his forgiving heart unable to share him with anyone and began to sink into the swampy darkness that stank from his body. He plotted for a long time, milking opportunities to rip the smile from Naruto's face. When he was engaging in business he came across the head of the Hyuuga and lay his plan into motion.

While Naruto was preoccupied in an out of country dispute, Sasuke snatched away Hinata away with permission of the elders and the Hyuuga and made her his Uchiha bride. One would wonder what effect that would have on Naruto, but upon his return Naruto was a zombie. That day of his return, he barely pulled himself upright, stumbled about his office in a daze, lost and confused.

He often stayed in the tower, watching the world in his bubble and being fairly ditzy. Alone, he could cry into the long hours of the night and pain like a smile ear to ear. He put on his Hokage robes and became a clown, or would straighten up and would become a diplomat but after Sasuke's marriage Naruto became more and more of a entertainer, making others happy while burning himself out.

The heartbroken, but handsome Hokage stood tall and kept the population in his heart and making many attempts to unite the divided at times families, pouring his energy and youth until he was twenty-seven years old bachelor and very, horribly single.

Once, long ago, Naruto Uzumaki wanted to be Hokage.

Now, once or twice he might want to.

Maybe.

Naruto Uzumaki is the Hokage of Konohagakure. A kind figure that lives in a tall tower by the mountain, overlooked by his predecessors and overlooking the whole town. The tower is tall and treacherous, and many choose not to enter because the steps are steep. The children are afraid of it, believing there is an ogre inside the building, but there is only the elderly, paperwork and Naruto.

He is twenty-seven years old.

Everyone loves him.

Some are in love with him, but they keep it to themselves. Admiring pictures, or his back from far away.

His eyes are still blue and livid after all these years but vacant when no one watches. He doesn't cut his hair, leaving it wild like a hippy or a revolutionary hair, blonde until it touches the floor and gets stuff like paper clips stuck in it.

Naruto rules kindly with a smile. He is a floozy with smiles, grinning on display. Wide and open. He even smiles to Sasuke, who hates him the most and wishes Naruto was dead.

But even still Naruto is not Naruto if he's not smiling from the bottom of his heart.

-

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	2. The Princess and his Problem

_**The Hokage and the Charming Knight**_  
_by Masked Lover_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just write bad fanfics._

-

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The Hokage was guarded by many strong warriors, but all of these warriors he could defeat. 

He often wondered what was the bother of having knights to protect him, but they remained adamant at staying by his side no matter how much he tried to get rid of them. He became really good and throwing off all of his bodyguards, except for one man who was secretly named Naruto's Knight in Shining Armor. Even though the Hokage never knew what they were talking about, he always felt like someone was taking care of him at their own expense and was eternally thankful.

* * *

----

But still my dear if the end draws near what should I do?

----

* * *

Gaara folded his arms, this was serious business. 

He put on his most serious face, despite Neji being across from him and that made him weak in his knees.

Neji was nervous himself, his hand on his not so flat stomach, yet diverting his attention to the conversation at hand. "Naruto is horribly lonely, he should get married or at least get a hobby--" His voice trailed off as all eyes were on him.

The room was cramped, soon Naruto would notice that a percentage on his men were gone so they had to proceed with care and precision. Many Jounin, chuunin, gennin teachers cramped in the claustrophobic paper room. Shino and a handful remained behind in order to hold down the fort.

"What Neji is trying to say is that we cannot allow Naruto to remain unhappy after he has brought happiness to all of us," Gaara added, "did I get that right?" He held off the dear, and the room went up a bit in temperature.

Shikamaru kicked out his feet and placed them on the table, "so what is this, some kind of contest? That's some disrespect to our Hokage. That's a pile of shit, let's just go help him." He winced on his words, "sorry, Neji."

Neji just rubbed his belly absent-mindedly, it was Gaara who was more of a problem.

Kakashi took a good look around the room, most of his peers had retired, married and had kids. Konohamaru just scratched his head, Chouji was stuffing his face, Kiba looked a bit confused.

"Perhaps one or two of us should take Naruto on a Vacation," Iruka commented.

"Great Idea, Iruka-sensei!" Konohamaru cheered.

"Finally some real direction," Sakura murmured.

Kakashi flipped the page, trying not to get sucked into the conversation.

Neji quickly drew up a list, "well both Chouji, Gaara and I are married. Iruka is too busy teaching... Genma is... Genma can't do it. Sai is a pervert. Gai and Lee are too much trouble--"

"HEY!" The pair shouted in unison, "we're perfect for bringing back Naruto's youth." Sai himself looked annoyed, while Genma was beginning to wonder if he had been found out.

Sakura helped Neji with his list, "hmm... I suppose I could go with Naruto. It'd be great if... No... Forget I said anything." She caught herself mid-nolstagia, she missed her team, that wasn't the best team, but was good enough for her. "I don't know if I could bring Naruto happiness, we could ask... Jiraya... But he's too self-centred for that."

Kakashi finally closed his book, annoyed. He rose from his previous position, pulling attention to him like mosquitoes, hot-blooded and angry. "The problem isn't Naruto isn't happy, it's that he has lost sight of what he thinks is important to him."

"Kakashi," Iruka looked on stunned as Kakashi locked his gaze on him, causing him to recline in his seat.

"He locks himself in a tower and now is too used the the tower he is afraid to leave it even though he's a powerful shinobi, why?" He motioned to the room, that was achingly silent.

"Why?" Hatake asked again, causing Neji's grip around his stomach to tighten.

Shikamaru closed his eyes.

Even he was too late to stop the horror in live film.

"He was in love with Sasuke Uchiha."

Kakashi let the words die in his mouth, he felt sick because it was an obvious but neglected fact. Naruto and Sasuke were close. Perhaps in love, perhaps best friends, but the needed the other to drive them forward despite their own denial.

The room's voice died.

Sakura had started sobbing and had to be consoled. She hated knowing. She hated knowing they weren't together, even more than she hated and loved Sasuke and envied Hinata every passing day and every Uchiha heir born.

Kakashi had said what had been whispered amongst the world, but among all those in the world

"WHAT!! That doesn't mean anything." Lee shouted, "we should help him!! He... He... He's sad."

Kakashi boldly stood up against the young leaf, and the man quivered a bit, "So what?

"They had a close relation and through misunderstanding, even if they could mend their relationship now they can't ever fall in love again... And they've both realised this by now." Sasuke limped with guilt, his clan was flourishing, but his heart was dead and he looked upon Naruto with such eyes. Kakashi continued, "we should leave him alone. The both of them might come to terms with in years late, but they will. And maybe one of them will die before the other knows it but that's how cruel life is, isn't it? Even to the person that makes everyone happy.

"He's lonely... But it's not something he can lose in vacation, or a lover or wife."

Shikamaru sighed standing up, "I'll do it." He scratched his side. "Nothing against you, Kakashi. You all make it sound like Naruto is going to die, he's not. And he is depressed, but he's Naruto, he'll keep going. Because he's Naruto, he just needs someone to be by his side. He's kind of lost right now--" He looked Kakashi in the eye, "I think I can try, it'll be a lot of work... But if things continue this like this no one will be happy."

Ah, he hated speeches, but it seemed like he was doing a lot as of late, when Naruto had "fallen asleep" he had to give one. That Naruto was a guy full of troubles but, "I don't want to give up on Naruto because he never gave up on anyone, even Sasuke even that guy abandoned him time after time again. Because Naruto needs us the most," he stumbled thinking what he needed to say again. "

An applause lead by Kakashi broke out, "spoken like a true prince--"

"I'm not a prince," Shikamaru playfully tapped the scarecrow, who in turn allowed himself be tapped. "I'm a knight, maybe you should start playing shougi because you're a little rusty, Hatake-san."

Kakashi smiled, realising his own idiocy, "Iyaaa, Shi-ka-ma-ru." Shikamaru was fully grossed out with the display of new affection. "I might fall in love with you too, but Naruto is mooooore charming."

It wasn't long before they both started laughing, even Sakura's tears had been removed and she was filled with a new optimism. Neji sighed in relief and left quietly with husband for to alone time.

Naruto stopped listening at this point. So this is what everyone disappeared to. He closed his eyes and the crystal ball turned back to Sasuke and Hinata, his children were beautiful and even though they were not in love they found their happiness in this makeshift family.

Sasuke was as handsome as ever, Hinata was still pure and a good mother.

But he still hated him.

Even Sasuke had moved on.

His thumb began to bleed from all the biting, but healed up again in seconds. "Fuck!!!"

-

**O In the Streets of Konoha O**

"I'm glad that Shikamaru decided to help," Neji smiled, Gaara stopped walking to look back on his pregnant partner. Neji was slow and more alert now that his pregnancy was confirmed. Neji wouldn't let people touch him once the morning sickness began to surface, afterwards when Temari pointed it out to the mother-to-be he isolated himself in their bedroom for three days, only eating and sleeping as if to escape from reality.

It drove Gaara through the wall, but eventually Neji settled down and came into the light again. He seemed happy and excited, in a stoic Hyuuga sort of way, yet lightly afraid of Gaara's prowess in getting him pregnant.

In truth, Gaara didn't want Neji to have a child and was rather careful when engaging with Neji, but Neji was surprisingly pushy and careless when in came to intercourse. The fact that they had both be lucky on many levels to this point was extraordinary. "But really, what is Naruto thinking. Ah, Gaara, can we pick up some strawberries."

"Of course," Gaara secretly smiled, "anything for my baby."

"Hey, stop calling me that. In public, it's embarrassing." Neji let Gaara scoot closer to him, and before long there were side by side, despite Neji hating this sort of affection and attention in his hometown. "This place keeps changing each time I come, must be Naruto's hard work. But some things stay the same. Hey, is that Naruto?"

Naruto was indeed a hippy, a man of revolution. His hair was long and curly like some over-dolled porn actress and was poor braided and thrown over his shoulder. There was something in his hair that looked like a fork and he reeked of flowers and tea, peace and justice and was rather than dirty and uncivilised.

Naruto's face was much like the forth's, but the was a bit more masculinity in his visage. His skin was tanned like a surfer and look like he would take his high-sun afternoons to the beaches and party down, he wore his robes like it was a bother and manly, muscle blessed chest was on display despite his ancient clothes. His blue eyes were still blue and true under sunglasses that were pink tinted and in the shapes of hearts.

Naruto looked at Neji--

And pointed at his stomach, "AH! Neji got knocked up--gahhhhhh!!!"

He barely dodged for his life as Neji threw his Kazekage husband who seemed happy to be thrown. Gaara had no problem landing on his feet and all while managing to find a strawberry vendor.

Naruto just gaped at an enraged Neji, until he fell to his knees begging for mercy.

"Neji, you shouldn't be exerting yourself, even though you're mad at Naruto." Gaara merely purchased the strawberries Neji was craving and made his way back to his fuming spouse, even with the high possibility of being thrown again. He gave his wife a sweet kiss, while passing the basket or strawberries.

Gaara was such a mild husband, it made Naruto a bit jealous.

"Sorry, Neji." Naruto finished his final bow and rose to the tall, strong, dependable Hokage height. "I just haven't seen you in three years and it's amazing that you could have a child." Naruto's arms were stretched wide and flailing, as the sky was as blue as ever and Naruto was the same 12 year old dreamer he always was.

People bustled by, bowing a "hi" and "hello" to the Hokage and he kept that unending smile on his face.

Sasuke...

You idiot.

You gave this up?

Naruto turned back to the two visitors, they looked really happy. Mostly everyone had paired up. These two were just one of the few he had to stay strong, in order to protect the future.

"Gaara, you, dog. I'm really jealous, Congratulations!" He shouted full of energy, "and Neji, long suffering." He ruffled up his immense sleeves, lifted his rose tinted sunglasses and beamed, "since these guys are a first they should receive my blessing--"

"Who would want you blessing?" Shikamaru chimed in.

"Okay, okay. Ahem," he opened his eyes and took Neji's left hand and Gaara's right and and brought them together, "if you have a son, may your son be wise in the ways of the world and the ways of knowing himself. AND if you have a girl, may she be as sweet as the morning sun and as gentle as the moon."

Neji just smiled gently, "thank you, I guess you're not so useless after all."

"I hope we are blessed with a child with your heart, Hokage-sama."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru forced Naruto to let go of the reddening couple's hand and apologise for being an idiot due despite Naruto's refusal. "Don't you have work?"

"I did it already," Naruto pouted.

Shikamaru was usually on baby-sitter shift and although at times it was easy, when it was hard, it was extremely hard to find the Hokage. "Naruto, I had to look all over for you..."

"Helping Hinata," Shikamaru pulled his punches when a frightened and also pregnant Hinata appeared waving to Naruto.

"Excuse me," Hinata spoke elegantly. She really did look the part of being a Uchiha wife.

"Shikamaru, this is a very important D-rank mission," before Shikamaru could speak, Naruto made his way to retrieve the bags.

Hinata smiled, bowing slightly, "this is a pleasant surprise, Neji. Congratulation on your child. The both of you must be overcome with joy." Hinata looked a bit sickly, but overall there had been some kind of change that had happened between the missing years. She was dressed in an elegant black kimono and had some of the Uchiha symbolism in her hair pieces.

"How are your children, Hinata." They were no where to be seen, which probably meant that Sasuke was training them up as heirs. He shuddered to think.

"Actually, it's Seiji's birthday." She smiled ear to ear, Hinata was at least a little happy. "Naruto and I are just picking up gifts and last minute details." Naruto stumbled back with some gifts and a cake box balancing on his head, which Hinata removed and carried in her hands. "you're both welcomed to join in."

Gaara really didn't want to see a Uchiha party run by Hinata and Naruto. All he could imagine was Naruto summoning those frogs and them just doing jutsu tricks.

"We'll have to decline as we are leaving tonight," Gaara and Neji said a careful good bye and fled. The thought just gave them the chill and made their hearts quiver.

Naruto was an impossibly strong person.

-

**O the Uchiha Compound O**

The party was in shambles, Sasuke was against the decorations and confetti but Naruto insisted. Most of the invited children were napping but Seiji Uchiha, the birthday boy of three years old, was full of admiration. His hands were playing in Naruto's mane and he was in sheer bliss.

"Get a haircut," Sasuke threatened, kunai pointed at Naruto as Hinata cradled her daughter. Naruto just let Sasuke's son admire his greatness as his Seiji's father threaten his very life. "I won't have a strange looking man hanging around my children."

"I like my hair, it makes me look like a girl." He giggled very girlishly that made something in Sasuke's stomach spin.

"Yeah, a real easy girl," Sasuke tried to call his three year old son away from the sexy Hokage with little to no results.

Seiji was a big Naruto fan, and loved how Naruto was full of energy and was a 'cool' adult. He also like Shikamaru, because he reminded him of pineapple. "How do you get your hair so long, Uncle. Don't people like daddy try to cut it off."

"Like this?" Sasuke tried to do such and Naruto expelled legendary powers in order to prevent it.

Shikamaru sighed, "why do I always get dragged along?"

"Because you're such a good friend. Have you asked him on vacation yet," Hinata asked, she had been a secret, but not full-member of the operation and had been one of the few who first saw Naruto's loneliness.

Truthfully, she was torn between the two men.

One side, a man who was a dutiful husband and was the father to her children. She had been more than distraught, but he had been so gentle and sweet he eventually won him over. The children made him a good man, not the vengeful person he once was and the shadows over his heart had long dissipated.

The other man... Naruto Uzumaki, she loved him. She loved him in different ways than Sasuke, when she had first married Sasuke, he never abandoned her. But ever since, there had been some sort of pain. Perhaps the loss of Sasuke.

She loved both Naruto and Sasuke and it was a complicated thing, but no one could ever be as happy as they could be. It would always be second choices, never first.

"I don't think he deserves one," Naruto used Seiji as a shield, but to Seiji tickling his father was a ton of fun and this the best Birthday ever. Naruto had been there when Seiji was born, because Sasuke was away on mission and was practically a second father to the young Uchiha.

Hinata pointed at the pair of warring rivals. "Hey, don't you think that Naruto would make the best parent?" Sasuke had caught Seiji and now in had devolved into a full out brawl.

Sasuke wasn't pulling punches, but Naruto was just dodging his attacks.

"Who would put up with him for so long..." Shikamaru watched as Naruto stumbled and fell on a confetti blower, as if he had heard those cruel words and faltered.

For some reason, a blow had been landed and Sasuke could only pull his fingers from Naruto's bleeding body.

Naruto wouldn't die, but he was wounded.

A mild wound, over an old one.

In his mind he had returned to that time, when he had betrayed Naruto and felt his heart crumbling to waste.

No one had really noticed besides the adults and Seiji, the children still resting. Hinata merely scolded the two men and Shikamaru tried to calm down Seiji who burst into tears in seeing one of his favourite people injured. Shikamaru tried to supress the sinking feeling it was all his fault and there would be more trouble to come... Between him and Naruto.

-

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	3. The Knight and the Plight

**The Hokage and the Charming Knight**  
_ by Masked Lover_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just write bad fanfics._

_-_

* * *

Even though the Hokage was strong, and surrounded by friends, he lived alone and was very lonely. 

Because he lived alone he spent most of his days inside a tall tower, all the way on the highest floor.

Because he stayed in the tower, all of his subjects became very lonely.

Even the knight that was secretly keeping watch over him soon became lonely and sad.

The Hokage would never admit to being lonely because he had to be strong.

For himself and his country.

* * *

----

If you hold me tight I'd feel all right, but still be blue

----

* * *

_-_

Naruto walked back into the battered, party room with his new Uchiha shirt. Shikamaru had to restrain his laughter because the seams were trying and it looked like the buttons were struggling to do their best to keep it all together. The Hokage had changed his bloody shirt on request of the Uchiha head, but Sasuke's dress shirt was a tight fit over his large body, Hinata had to hide her blush when she accidentally walked in on him changing. Instead of covering his body in modesty, he started flexing and taking advantage of the opportunity to embarrass the Uchiha wife for fun. Unfortunately Sasuke had also walked in and he was more than shocked at seeing Naruto in a sea of his clothing. But Naruto kept on posing, modelling shirts and making manly grunts as the married couple apologised profusely, bowing out in small dips backwards out the door. Finally he put on the largest shirt the Uchiha had, and returned to the party he had a part in ruining.

Naruto's wound had closed but Seiji wouldn't stop crying despite Naruto being fine. Hiccups racking his entire frame, the little boy never looked so small before. Even when he was born, Naruto had exclaimed in a bellowing voice that the Uchiha heir was unusually large. He rarely looked like an Uchiha though, more like a Hyuuga with Sasuke's eyes and Hinata's composure. Sasuke had long retired to his room with Hinata, leaving Shikamaru to care for Yukina. Most of the children were staying over the night and were slightly annoyed that the party had come to a halt. The cake was half-eaten, the presents opened, the games played... They still wanted to play more games, and complained openly about it.

Shikamaru was feeling a headache begin to rattle in his head. This party was becoming a disaster, he needed something to drink. Something hard, in the seediest bar, in the worst part of Konoha. But at least they were making fun of Sasuke Uchiha, and for a kids party is was pretty fun.

"Naruto, when are these kids going home?"

Shikamaru looked at Seiji and the Hokage, he had just gotten Yukina to sleep and Seiji was a loud brat. Not that he was a bad kid, he cried a lot for someone who was Sasuke Uchiha's son. Naruto picked Seiji up, he never thought of Seiji as his son... Rather he thought that Seiji was a student of his. He had tried to keep an arms length from the young boy but Seiji was quite persistent in being just a child and determined to not understand his likeliness to Sasuke.

"Hey, Seiji, how about we play some hide and seek, huh?" The boy's eyes were red and puffy, but he nodded slowly.

"Okay."

Naruto gathered all the kids into another room and quickly lay down the rules before starting the game, Seiji was decided to be "It" out of volunteering (which made a lot of the girls blush in just thinking that he was looking for them). Shikamaru opted not to play and the baby, Yukina was carefully handed off to her mother. Hinata had returned to supervise the remaining children who were upset that they couldn't use jutsu and refused to play.

Sasuke sat in a chair at her side looking sour and upset that someone was deciding the rules to a game in his household without his permission until he noticed that there was some of the good cake left.

He usually hated cakes, but this one was baked with tomatoes in it and was actually one of the best cakes he had ever had. He rose from his seat and made his way to the table that Shikamaru was clearing with his plate. "Nara," Sasuke pointed to the pile of the plastic plates, "pass me two plates." Shikamaru looked at Sasuke, he seemed to be living a good life he didn't deserve, but things weren't fair in this world-- and Sasuke Uchiha was taking all the cake.

"Hey! Leave some for me, Uchiha!" Shikamaru didn't want to start a fight but it was a good cake and a good cake worth fighting for.

"There's another cake in Naruto's fridge, it didn't come out so well so we had this one professionally decorated."

"Hinata, will you make this cake from now own?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

"Oh, I'm quite terrible at making this cake," Sasuke's heart started beating really fast in his chest, Hinata didn't seem to notice even being a Hyuuga and having Byakugan. She felt a bit guilty about eating cake and holding her baby in her arms, but the cake was far to delightful to abstain from. She took her first bite and squealed at the delicious taste. "Naruto made this cake. He found the recipe while travelling in the country side. It's quite delicious, I love it! Sasuke? What is wrong?"

"Nothing." Except he was at the mercy of his rival for now, until the end of time.

And all for this tomato cake.

_-_

Naruto being Naruto, hid in a closet. The closet had one jacket in it, and it was his that forgot in the closet when he was visiting around the time Yukina was born.

It didn't take long for Seiji to find him, because there would only be one place an adult of that size would hide. The door opened and Naruto wore a sheepish smile.

"You caught me, Seiji. Happy Birthday."

Seiji looked a Naruto for a long time, he was red and out of breath.

"Naruto, I love you, don't die anymore," the boy blurted out.

Naruto looked at the child.

Seiji was like a miniature Sasuke, there were times that he envied Hinata and Sasuke for having children. There were times that Naruto wondered if he and Sasuke were to have a child, if he would grow up to be a healthy, cart wheeling boy like Seiji...

No.

Never.

Naruto took a good look a Seiji and a deep breath.

Naruto closed his eyes.

It was about time he came to his senses.

"I won't die anymore, Seiji."

_-_

**OIno's InnO**

"I'm telling you it was a disaster at one point, and the kid kept crying until Naruto left and you know what, he cried even more because Naruto left." Shikamaru complained, he wondered if he was being paid enough to help spy on their Hokage and take care of Naruto but here he was getting a free meal. It had been several days since the party, but the experience was fresh in his mind.

Ino washed the glass gingerly, Shikamaru was spending a lot of time with Naruto. More time than he was supposed to, and more when he was not spying on him. "Well, Naruto has that effect on people. I bet everyone would cry if they thought Naruto was going to die. Especially the kids."

"Speaking of kids--Congratulations, everyone is having kids these days." He had to hand to Chouji, he and Ino got together fast and now this. There were only a couple of bachelors left, but they seemed to be together with someone. Even Iruka had gotten together with Shizune but those two mainly kept to themselves after getting married.

All that was left was the old wolves that Shikamaru shared night duty, or met with for late night drinks. Sai seemed to have taken a liking to Kakashi though, and the two seemed to get along well both being perverts, but those two were probably just friends. Kakashi seemed to continue to have falling outs with people and mostly spent his time alone or travelling with Jiraya. It would explain his sudden absence from the village as of late.

Naruto was also a bachelor, but one day he just stopped having interests in both men and women. Much to the dismay of the general public.

After that, Naruto's hair started growing long. It looked good on him, even those stupid hear- sunglasses but it was kinda annoying to see that not only did Naruto's fashion style begin to influence the public of Konoha-- Outsiders were beginning to think that everyone in Konoha was like Naruto, even though the current Hokage was the abnormality. Even Naruto's face on the side of the mountain looked ridiculous, but at least people heard his plea and gave Naruto short hair and someone during the night (probably Sasuke) removed those awful sunglasses of his. Naruto was met with protest when he tried to restore them, something about the gods...

Or Uchiha bribing someone. Damn Uchiha.

Uchiha sure loved to spoil the fun, but Hinata was just one woman and Sasuke would always be a huge jerk to everyone. Naruto included.

If that party hadn't got out of control, it would have been a good night. But then Sasuke was the one trying to cut off Naruto's hair, but Naruto's hair was pretty long by now it probably was due time for a hair cut.

"What are you thinking about?" Ino asked, Shikamaru seemed not to hear her. He was too busy looking over the new travel book of the Land of Waves. There were a lot of images of people in bikinis and the page was on the current month. She giggled at Shikamaru's oblivious nature and went on to serve the other customers. Shikamaru was more than worried about where to take Naruto, the Hokage had travelled to a lot of far locales and his room was more than proof, bursting with rich aromas and dark wood furniture. But it really did look like the Land of Waves was a good choice amongst them all.

But would Naruto go so easily?

_-_

**OThe Hokage's TowerO**

"MUWAH HA HA HA! I'M BRILLIANT!"

He was so pumped, he didn't know where to go. The maps and tourist books of the best travelling locations were all over the room.

His plan was so marvelous.

So marvelous indeed.

He would get his revenge, especially against Sasuke. Although he had forgiven him, Sasuke was a big jerk and needed some pay back 'Uzumaki style.' Even though they were living happily now, forcing Hinata to marry him was the wrong way to go.

Besides, it was time that he had a little fun.

It would be great! Naruto was cackling so hard, he began to choke on the dust that was collecting on the old books. He noticed the time, the Hokage would need to clear his desk soon, because Shikamaru was coming to discuss the finance report with him and go over the boring details about what had to be done so he did it ahead of time and most of the stuff he had to get out of the way.

He felt half bad that he would be dragging Shikamaru along, they would be travelling to cool places. They could go the Sand... Or the Wave Country, Inari must be so big by now. He was probably a man himself, but with Shikamaru taking him he should con him into taking him everywhere. He hadn't taken a vacation since his training before recapturing Sasuke.

Sakura had long hair then, she looked really pretty too. And Sasuke had long hair then and he also looked pretty much like a girl...

That's probably when he started thinking about growing out his hair. He really loved his hair, but he would probably have to keep it in a braid for when he and Shikamaru were travelling.

Of course he hadn't asked him yet, but Naruto had a feeling that Shikamaru was going to put it off until the time was right and he couldn't wait till then.

He had to go now!

Or more, he really needed a vacation right now because he felt like garbage.

"Naruto, I got your message." Tsunade smiled, seeing the old Naruto everyone loved and admired again.

Naruto beamed like the sun, "SO YOU'LL DO IT?"

Tsunade smiled, she really missed this Naruto. "Of course."

_-_

_--Some time later--_

_- _

Shikamaru looked at the scene in front of him.

Tsunade was sleeping on the desk, drooling over the finance report.

"Tsunade-sama, do you know where that Naruto had run off today?" She looked up at Nara, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, you're already here," she yawned, handing him the thick report. "He already finished it. You should be glad. I wish I had someone to do that for me when I was Hokage." Shikamaru wanted to strangle this woman, he did most of those papers himself. That's how he got so good at it! "Naruto left you a message. In fact, he told me to fill in for him while he was gone."

"Gone?" He shook the other blonde Hokage and trying to wake her up, but she was fast asleep. He rubbed his eyes, and started looking for the paper under all the work and files and in the shelves until he went back and rolled Tsunade off the missing sheet and read the details in his head. Shikamaru couldn't believe his eyes.

_-_

* * *

_-_

"Dear Everyone in Konoha,

Naruto Uzumaki here.

I've decided to end my life.

That's why I'm going to the Land of Waves and marrying the first person that agrees.

I don't know if I'm coming back, that's for my wife to decide.

Overall, wish me luck.

Bye,

The Great Hokage

Naruto Uzumaki."

_-_

_-_

* * *

**  
TBC**

_- _

_- _

**Authors Note:**

Awesome, thank you to my subscribers(?) and one reviewer (Kissama). I'm going to make these chapters shorter so I can update more often. Usually if I get one review each chapter I'll keep going, so Kissama I'm looking at you--

JOKING! I KID! That's a lot of responsibility to put on one person.

I also updated my other story, "Mahou no Kotoba: Would you marry me?" This fanfics competition.(?) Most of these fanfics posted on this account are song inspired.

If you wonder where the lines after the mini-fairy tale opening comes from it's a song by Shiina Ringo called Konoyo no Kagiri which translates to the "Limits of the World." It was very inspirational. It inspired the another fanfic (that I may post) where Naruto looses his memory.

I'll post the lyrics so you get a sneak preview (if it can be called that) for the rest of the fanfic. But do check the song out on Youtube!

_-_

_Konoyo no Kagiri / "Limits of the World" _

_But still my dear if the end draws near what should I do?  
If you hold me tight I'd feel all right but still be blue  
But if a song were to play just for us for a moment  
To take the heartache away_

_Well then I'd say, I'll make a song for you  
Nothing too old, and nothing too new  
Sing to the light of day  
You'll smile for me, we'll be happy that way_

_Da la la..._

_Just turn away and take this point of view  
Nothing is old, and nothing is new  
When you look at me and say I'll forget you...  
_

_If you were me who would you be when the sun goes down?  
Two faces bright but I fear the night might come around  
And if reflections appear from the past, all our moments,  
Smiles, love and laughter, I fear..._

_Well then I'd say, I'll make a song for you  
Nothing too old, and nothing too new  
Sing to the light of day  
You'll smile for me, we'll be happy that way  
And take this point of view  
Nothing is old, and nothing is new  
When you look at me and say  
Nice to meet you, would you mind if I stay?_

_-_

_- _


	4. The Plot Begins: Once Upon a Time

**The Hokage and the Charming Knight**  
_by Masked Lover_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just write bad fanfics.__  
_

_- _

* * *

One day, the Princess, er, Hokage was gone. 

The knight stood at the gate, wondering what he should do.

In his eyes, he saw that the world needed him.

In his heart, he knew the world needed Naruto.

* * *

----

But if a song were to play just for us for a moment

----

* * *

_-_

_"What a waste," Sasuke muttered._

_Hinata's heart sped up as she covered her face from the falling glass. "Iyyyaaaaaaaa!!!" Someone screamed in the room and the entire world fell apart, Sakura arms with pieces of glass in it. The pregnant Uchiha relatively safe, but was in the danger zone._

_The glass had shattered before hitting Sasuke, his judging finger sliding across the room. "Who threw that?"_

_"I wish I had," Iruka shifted. His wife tugging at his sleeve, begging him to shut up._

_"STOP IT, SASUKE!!! Hinata was shouting at her husband, breathing deeply and clutching her baby. Sakura had tried to pull Uchiha lady away from the drama before her, but it was spreading to them. Shino rushing forward, his bugs crawling up his arm in a swarm to protect the pair,his mind thinking of strategies to be the best offence he could be against the Head Uchiha._

_Lee back flipped through the air, clutching his black eye. He landed on his feet and surveyed the scene. Many of the Jounin were moving in from to restrain the Uchiha forcibly._

_Sasuke's fist missed Iruka's cheek, the pair never seemed to get along since Sasuke's marriage. Iruka was lucky, being pulled back by Genma and Shikamaru stopping Sasuke with his shadow._

_"Darling no," Shizune held onto her husband, pressing her cheek to his, Iruka's face seemed to calm with Shizune holding onto him. He murmured something like, I'm sorry, kissing her hands and wiping her falling tears._

_"You're all a bunch of idiots!" The book Tsunade threw at the at the ceiling had cut through the tension. Before it fell, Chouji caught it in his hand. She was huffing and breathing, Naruto left for one day and this happened the next day._

_"What type of adults are you! Fighting like this." She couldn't imagine what would happen if Naruto didn't come back, and who would want to come back to this. Naruto was really a strong leader, unlike her, and it was increasingly tough to be a ruler in a time of peace as well._

_Especially with his old rival Sasuke Uchiha throwing his weight around, pushing people to do what he wanted. At first it was a harmless vacation, some peace and romance for the world loving Hokage._

_Sasuke was up to something. Something no good._

_"Sasuke, even if you are the acclaimed Uchiha leader, your behaviour is atrocious. Look at your wife," Hinata seemed to be sweating bullets. Shikamaru broke the jutsu so that Sasuke could rush to her side. He looked sincerely concerned, but she hid from his embrace. Avoided his apologises, Hinata Uchiha looked torn and weary, she was breathing heavily. It was not that she had gone into labour but it was a lot of stress for her now frail body to deal with. She was in tears, repeatedly asking Sakura she if could go home and be with her children._

_What was a world without Naruto?_

_Shikamaru looked around the room, even all the make-up techniques couldn't hide Tsunade's age._

_Sakura rose and stood beside Lee who thanked Shino for protecting his wife from the raging Sasuke, Sakura looked at his injury from fighting Sasuke and wanted to touch him but Hinata clung to her, as if using her as a wall between Sakura and Sasuke. The surveyed the stressed faces of the room, Konohamaru was crying. Iruka was comforting his crying wife._

_"I don't care," Shikamaru... Shikamaru looked at an angered Sasuke, who held onto his wife. "I don't care." His father tried to stop him from leaving the meeting and Konoha._

_He would bring Naruto back, even though everyone was..._

_Why did it have to rain?_

_Why did it have to rain now when Naruto was gone, Shikamaru hesitated... And dashed into the thick rain, passing by a bewildered Kiba who with his dogs under a shelter._

_"Hey, how was the meeting?" Kiba asked, not realising what the fellow Jounin was holding in._

_"Shitty," Shikamaru called back in the distance._

_Kiba continued on petting his dogs, not caring that he had missed out on what he guessed was a shitty fight between Sasuke and the others. "Shitty deal," was all head said in response._

_-_**  
**

**OBeaches of the Wave CountryO**

Naruto was the sun.

Unavoidable.

Loud.

Careless.

Vital.

How someone as big as the Hokage could get lost in a little tourist beach like this was besides the point, but Kakashi said he had spoken to the hokage somewhere on the beach and then just continued on eating his ice cream.

It was a stroke of luck meeting both Jiraya and Kakashi at an Inn the Wave Country while he was catching a meal, both seemed more interested in tagging along for fun than Hokage retrieval. Shikamaru would have agreed with the others in just letting him be, but Sasuke was a big jerk and had to mess everything up.

The sun was so intense on the beach and hot Shikamaru was soaking in sweat inside his black clothes.

A big breasted trotted by ice cream in her hand, her bikini was hot electric pink. She looked at the Konoha ninja with increased interest, licking the ice cream off her bubble gum lips. "Hey, you look hot."

"Thanks," he waved, and she merely went on walking not caring too much that he had blown her off. He hadn't changed his clothes since he left.

Shikamaru wasn't in the mood to deal with all the sexy blonde women that were eyeing him. He needed to secure another blonde idiot and then he would definitely come back to this beach next year. Although for some reason they were coming from the direction of his supposed target.

The directions that Kakashi gave him were stupid, but so far true.

"Walk down the white wooden road, stay on the white road..."

There had been a path created by the locals by the white trees they had come across. There were many tourists and he could understand why Kakashi had warned him to stay on the white path. The other paths were coloured and led to hotels, entertainment and other things.

"Pass the Sushi house, Okonomiyaki house and the Sake house. When you come to the Sake house, turn left."

There were literally no other buildings, just palm trees, sand and the occasional white house that Kakashi had stated.

"When you get to the Ice Cream vendor, order a special #5 and wait."

Where was Naruto Uzumaki? The beach was crowded with women, mostly women.

They all seemed to flock to this area of the beach for a certain, bachelor Hokage.

Word of the missing Hokage seemed to travel fast, making Shikamaru loose sleep.

Most of the women Shikamaru had 'met' at meetings when he had stalked Naruto on missions, they were the daughters of high officials, merchants, daughters and women of high fame, power and money. Who didn't want to marry Uzumaki Naruto, with a body that could literally kill. But everyone seemed to forget why they were there, and everyone on the beach strip seemed to be having fun.

There was a woman bustling about the small shop, and a teenaged boy beside a tall man who was barely dressed in clothes. The cooks would pass by the crepe maker slapping his back playfully and dropping cubes of ice down his white wife beater, causing him to rip into kind laughter.

The teenage boy was the most daring, darting here and there. His hand moved fast and Naruto so busy entertaining guest allowed him to drop a ice cube into Naruto's swimming trunks. He looked at Naruto, who was still unfazed, his fun spoiled. "Doesn't your ass ever get cold?"

Naruto wiped his forehead his his arm, his skin was shiny from the sweat, his braid hanging down his back. The ice cube fell down Naruto's leg with a shake, making the boy sigh. His effort wasted.

"No, my ass is invincible." He shouted, dropping some ice down the front of the teenager's shirt. The teenager yelped and fishing it out, tossing it in Naruto's face.

The Hokage's spatula folded the crepe and put it in the wrap, the giggling teenage brunette, fan girl accepted the food and bit into it. Her eyes widened, covering her mouth because it she was still eating. "It's delicious," she said with a blush.

"I'm glad you like it," he said... He looked into the distance...

"AH!" The whole beach seemed to freeze.

Shikamaru looked like he had crawled out of the sea.

He had gained a stubble on his chin, he looked really rugged, as if he had been on a journey all this time. His clothes were in shreds. And he never looked more like he cared than right now, his eyes focused on the bachelor of the month.

"!!!!!!" Naruto felt his time start counting down.

"I hope you've said you prayers lately," Shikamaru scowled, rolling up his sleeve. "Because I know you've been skipping out on it!"

Naruto tried to run, but Shikamaru was not fast, but smart.

The teenager dropped a large slab of ice down the front of Naruto's trunks controlled by Shikamaru, who would have never sunk so low if he wasn't so desperately mad.

_-_

**OShikamaru's Dilapidated Inn RoomO**

"Thanks for the new clothes Naruto," Shikamaru didn't know how he felt about the Hawaiian Print and neon orange shorts, but he was grateful. His Konoha clothes burned for secrecy's sake, he would be left with just this to wear while walking home for a while. When he had calmed down, Naruto was in tears from the cold ice in his pants. Naruto was given the rest of the day off, which made his pretty upset because it was his last day. "We need to go home."

"But we'll miss the festival."

Shikamaru didn't bother looking at Naruto, "Sasuke is--"

"Messing things up as usual," Shikamaru filled Naruto's Sake and then his. Naruto had tears in his eyes, "do you want some Okonomiyaki?"

"I like my sushi."

There was an awkward pause.

He had wished that Kakashi and Jiraya had remained, but they said something about hunting women and enjoying life for it's troubles. They sure were eating a lot of his money, but he was sure to bill Naruto for the mission being thus far a success. The inn room was shabby and he was glad that those two came back only to spread false information as there was only one futon due to Shikamaru's destitute state.

Shikamaru was going to age to fifty with Naruto by his side, but that's what the sun did. He remembered when he was lying out on a sunny day and Naruto had come and poured sunscreen on his face saving it from being severely burned... Why did he remember that now, good sake. He looked at the long, red label bottle.

Shikamaru looked lazily at the weeping blonde, "what a bad drinker you are..."

Naruto wiped his snot on a napkin. "I asked a girl to marry me, but she said I was too late."

The Hokage picked at the food before putting a small piece in his mouth, still dripping half-fake, half-real tears.

"She said, I came 80 years too late."

Shikamaru looked at the teary eyed Naruto, "Obaachan was too mature for you, Great Hokage-sama." He burst into laughter at his own words.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru's face.

He wasn't have bad looking, he could see why a lot of girls like him and he was a good Hokage's aide... He was the best Hokage's aide.

"What is it, Naruto?" Shikamaru ate the last of the sushi elegantly.

"Nee... Shikamaru..." He wobbled, his once strong legs making Shikamaru tense.

"Hey, are you going to throw up?! I told you not to buy oko---" The Hokage stumbled, falling on the half-eaten food, knocking over the sake and falling on Shikamaru.

Naruto pushed the shadow master down the the floor, the blondes erection pressing against the twitching thigh of the victim of his affections.

"Shikamaru, let's get together."

Shikamaru sighed.

"You're drunk."

"Are you not gay?" Naruto blundered, "I thought you didn't like girls."

Shikamaru felt the Hokage's hands roam his body, drunkenly. "Don't throw up on me."

"I like you."

Shikamaru couldn't stop laughing and in the laughter Naruto's eyes widened...

Shikamaru smile was a rare, delicate smile and Naruto caught the image with his blue eyes and stored it away in the back of his mind. "Ask me when you're sober..."

Naruto hugged Shikamaru, "fine."

He would ask him the first thing tomorrow again.

_-_

_-_

* * *

**TBC**

_-_

_-_

**Author's note:**

LOL, I forgot Kakashi was travelling and also that he was there for the meeting for Naruto's vacation. Oh dear. So I changed it so that some days had past before the Ino's Inn Event. I apologise for the inconsistency.

And I apologize for making Sasuke evil, there is a reason to his madness, he's a good guy. He's meant to be the (the following was edited to be made into a doujinshi.) They're all good guys! HORRAY!!!!

Thank you to my awesome two reviewers (PirateCaptainBo & Shinigami) and my seven(?) awesome subscribers, if I were to describe awesome it would be a review of First of the North Star and Beer and you all who read. AWESOME!


	5. A surly, lazy Knight traveled the Night

**The Hokage and the Charming Knight**  
_by Masked Lover_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just write bad fanfics._

_-_

_-_

_- _

"Jiraya look!" The watching scarecrow motioned to the couple that slept side by side.

Jiraya took his turn at the telescope.

Naruto threw his arm protectively over the ink haired man, his left eye leering at the pair of perverts, the right eye closed.

Jiraya closed the telescope.

"Seeds don't grow if you bother them, Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed mock-dreamily, "Young Love."

He moved into a great thinking position on the roof top, and muttered through his mouth piece.

"But the seeds haven't been planted. What a shame."

_-_

_-_

* * *

The Knight left the kingdom with his own task, not caring if he could never come back to the castle. 

He raised the eye-shield of his metal helm and looked forward at the darkened sky, the moon's crescent hanging with a weak smile.

The stars blinked at him confused that the knight continued to walk up the winding road

Despite the sun refusing to rise.

He stepped into the open, dirt road.

The path was treacherous, but he had only one way to go.

Forward.

A princess was crying somewhere and he was charged to find him

Before he fell a deep sleep

Or under a evil jutsu.

* * *

_---_

**_To take the heartache away_**

_---_

* * *

_-_

_-_

Shikamaru awoke to find the windows drawn wide open, the sky was blue.

He found himself looking into blue eyes.

"Good morning, I brought food."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru.

"Murh." Shikamaru rolled onto the forgotten dinner and kicked up a storm, "Gyahh!' He felt the mayonnaise grease on his skin.

He rubbed his eyes, Naruto was still there.

"I gotta piss."

Naruto shrugged and went back to putting is souvenirs in boxes.

"Oi, Naruto," Shikamaru looked at the funny looking objects. He felt bad for forcing Naruto to leave, Naruto was probably forcing himself to be optimistic about them leaving a happy, sunny beach to go back to a rainy city. Shikamaru wanted to run away as long as possible as well.

Shikamaru proceeded to go to the washroom and rummage through his stuff.

He poked his head out to see Naruto standing and waiting for something.

"Can I borrow your toothbrush, Naruto?"

"Go straight ahead."

Shikamaru proceed to coat the bristles with nasty, chalk paste.

"Do you like me, Shikamaru?"

The toothpaste was all over, Shikamaru's hand. "Shiiiit!"

His eyes were even wider and he saw Naruto's expression.

Shikamaru's face was painted pink, the pink seeped into his pale Japanese composition, wilting his stance with it's sagging colour.

"Na-Na-Naruto!" He gulped.

Naruto's eyes seemed to lock onto the deep-deep target of his soul.

The firm ruler's hand on his own shoulder, soft lips parting his own. Shikamaru gasped.

His tongue invaded, pressing forward into defenseless Shikamaru.

Zeroing in, a buzz, gold on black, his body buzzing over strands of black strands that fell and parted wild for the foraging fingers that were crazy.

I want to love you, Naruto breathed air for Shikamaru through his actions, into the depths of his flames, burning the wise jounin crispy--his insides frozen and defrosting.

Waking up just like children in the morning.

"Na-AH!"

The words that Shikamaru hung onto desperately, repeating over, as he hung onto Naruto frantically. Something inside him was being pressed open, pushing out like a green shoot. A happy direction. His shivered, he was being torn, he tore at Naruto for shattering his shell. Wild and naked, smearing the toothpaste, a burst of blue-white into Naruto's sunny blonde hair.

Alive, like a resurrected kite in the wind cutting the clouds.

He faded.

The pink tongue receded, tasting of sloppy flavours, sake, sushi, leaving the taste of fruity mangoes, strawberries, sunlight--Naruto's essence in his mouth.

Shikamaru shut his mouth.

He looked at Naruto.

Naruto knew he had to have his first real kiss with Shikamaru before they had an indirect one.

That would make life more fair.

"Good morning."

Naruto's face was bloody red.

"Good morning--" He lingered, hovered over Shikamaru. Toothpastey hair and torn tousled T-Shirt. He nodded, finding his footing, "--Shikamaru."

He wanted to say, like an excited child, "do you remember last night?"

He couldn't sleep.

He looked at the sky.

He watched it turn red

and then the colour of Shikamaru.

The blue sky widened.

Then clouds came apparent.

And the world moved forward.

Dogs barking.

And Jiraya

And Kakashi.

And the kids ran on the beach.

And he had breakfast and came back with souvenirs.

And Shikamaru slept on

He wanted to shake him and say, "it's tomorrow!" With a smile

But he couldn't.

Because that would ruin his cool and then he had to do that so he had ruined his cool, when he grasped onto Shikamaru and opened up his lips and his big mouth and those stupid words pushing Shikamaru down and making his moan and not be his friend anymore.

"I like you, Naruto."

Naruto smile exploded.

"Now go, I have to go to the washroom."

"Shika---" The door closed on his face. "--maru?"

Naruto pressed his forehead against the white door, his heart pounding.

He clenched his fist.

His eyes softened.

He won.

Take that Sasuke.

Take that.

He listened to the sink run, the splashing of Shikamaru's face hitting the cold water because the tap was broken. The flush of the toilet. Shikamaru shaking his hands with a shifting sound, and the squirting of liquid soap.

He let go of Shikamaru for a second, pulling back and returning to his own lonely, selfish thoughts.

He went back to packing his souvenirs, opening the door and proceeded to the mail-nins across the street dumbly.

"To Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki." He muttered in a crest-fallen voice.

"Fill this out sir," the might as well be faceless mail-nin spoke in an authoritarian voice.

Naruto pulled his words onto the page with boredom.

The nin looked at the information.

"This will be confidential, that you for your patronage, Sir."

He walked out the door dejectedly, putting his wallet in his pocket and proceeded across the street.

"NARUTO!!!" Shikamaru was nearly falling out the window, he leaned low and perilously. He met with Naruto's eyes. He gulped, and then bellowed the words with all his strength forgetting his wallet and the money that it would cost and his mission at hand:

"DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE FESTIVAL?"

Naruto looked up at the building. At Shikamaru in danger and himself not really caring besides the fact that the world was a great place to be visiting at the moment and he really, really didn't want to go home.

Time had stopped.

The street paused to look up at Shikamaru that struggled to keep his bottom-half from following his top-half out the window.

"Mommy, he's jumping."

The mother ushered her son away with a motherly pull.

"Don't look, honey."

Naruto was the sun, he wanted to dance in the street. He wanted the street to dance with him. His life was musical, intense and he felt the beat of the footstep passing by to his own heart beat.

Shikamaru was inspiring and he was half tempted to run away with him--away, way far, way gone of of human sight.

"UMN!" He nodded, stunned, "I mean, I mean-YES! Shikamaru!"

He raised his arms, "YES!"

"Don't call my name!"

The window shut once again.

Harsh.

Life was hard.

Naruto smiled.

Half sighing.

_- _

**O The mouldy Registration Hall O**

Shikamaru said good-bye to the last of his money.

"You're paying for everything else," he muttered to Naruto.

"Put it on my bill," Naruto honestly didn't care.

"It's gonna be a big bill."

"Good, we deserve a vacation--"

Shikamaru elbowed the Hokage viciously--"--I deserve a vacation."

Naruto winced, "yes sir." With a smile of course.

"Oh," he watched Shikamaru run away from him, "did you sleep good last night."

Shikamaru looked back, walking faster. His face betrayed him.

"Who can fall asleep beside you when your heart is beating so fast," Shikamaru shouted embarrassed, "NAAh?"

_-_

_-_

* * *

**TBC**

_-_

_-_

**Author's Note:**

Yep a short and passionate chapter! I'll need to go back to edit all chapters for consistency soon, so do not be alarmed!

Did you like it? Naruto is a pushy uke, Shikamaru is a lazy seme.

If Naruto is the sun, Sasuke is the Moon, Shikamaru is the ---------, what?

XD Thank you for the for reviews. I work hard and I hope to meet the most of your expectatations, you ten subscribers.

You can thank your own reviews, shout outs to Shikamaru-Naruto13, Kandie and Bezeerc. PirateCaptainBo, about Hinata being pregnant, I can't imagine Sasuke seeing her as anything as something of being a person that he cares for slightly and mostly for giving him children. Yes, I see Sasuke has two sides like a good bad guy. Mu ha ha.

As for kissama, yes. How can Naruto forget! He can't let this one get away! So yeah, let's cheer Naruto on in getting his seme! Right?

R&R Lovelies. You know you wanna.


	6. because the very sun of his kingdom

**The Hokage and the Charming Knight**  
_by Masked Lover_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just write bad fanfics._

_-_

_-_

_- _

* * *

_-_

_- _

The road was long.

The hills and valleys and forests and deserts and oceans—came one after the other. The path that was winding became one line.

His journey was taking an uncertain amount of time, yet he pressed on, forgetting himself, the endless days without the Princess as a beacon of hope was driving him into despair.

It was if the sun refused to rise and the he was travelling in perpetual darkness.

Without a sun to count the days on, time became endless.

The knight soon forgot that he came from the castle, he forgot where he was going. Soon he found himself naked and adrift on the sea, clinging to the wreckage of his boat.

_-_

_- _

* * *

_---_

**_Well then I'd say, I'll make a song for you _**

_---_

* * *

_-_

_-_

"You have something in your hair," Shikamaru noted three hours late. (But three hours well spent.) 

Honestly, if Naruto didn't even notice something like toothpaste in his hair for more than three hours, Shikamaru pondered how the man even got instated as Hokage in the first place.

Naruto had almost disappeared into the ocean, his obsession with swimming in the "deep end" was driving Shikamaru off the deep end.

Naruto pulled up his long braid and pulled the seaweed from it. He met eyes with Shikamaru's angry gaze and continued the search the depth of his hair.

"A paper clip!" He clipped the paper clip back into his hair and let the braid fall over his shoulder and looked at Shikamaru as if the shadow user had bad eyesight. "Nope, didn't see any."

It was like charades.

Shikamaru pointed to the top of Naruto's blonde hair and Naruto of course, being Naruto, misunderstood and made a searching gesture with his hand over his eyes, looking behind him to a crowd of young people.

"HI Naruto!" Shouted a group of teens.

He waved to his friends on the beach, "HELLO!"

He looked back at Shikamaru, "What?"

"Right side, Naruto. In your hair." Shikamaru pointed to the right side of his head and Naruto moved his hand to the sticky mess, pulling his fingers through the strands with a grossed out face. "Give me those awful sunglasses before you wash them out and lose them."

"Shikamaru, I remember not putting toothpaste in my hair this morning. Do you remember when this happened?"

It was when Naruto had kissed him.

Shikamaru squeezed the tube of toothpaste and Naruto had put his tongue in. "Shikamaru, are you cold? You just shivered."

'How could anyone shiver on such a happy sunny day?' Shikamaru thought, absent-mindedly. 'He really is thick.'

Naruto sank his head into the sea water and scrubbed his hair clean, he'd rather be looking at Shikamaru rather than the colourful fish that were swimming around his feet. The toothpaste was probably not so good for these little guys and he was feeling a bit bad about destroying the environment just a bit more. He took a look at Shikamaru's swimming trunks a bit longer when he saw something move around Shikamaru's feet, thinking it was just a flying piece of garbage before he ignored it.

He pulled his head out of the water dramatically to return with a joke when his eyes focused he finally noticed the frail jellyfish twittering around his affection's feet.

"WATCH OUT!"

The water around Shikamaru's feet exploded like a geyser going off.

The beach girls only saw the huge pillar of water rise into the air and giggled at Naruto's antics as usual, using their small hands to cover their faces from the droplets of sea water.

When the pillar collapse, they noticed the figure walking in their direction.

Pale faces turned red and away, not from a sunburn, but from the sight of two Konoha ninjas rising from the water in their direction.

"GOOD LUCK!" Came a sudden shout!

"Good luck!" The girls cheered, there was a beach full of cat calls and whistling enough to make Nara Shikamaru regret his life up to this moment.

Naruto held Shikamaru close to his body, arms cradling the man, brides-style.

"What are you you doing, Naruto!" Shikamaru hissed. If any of the girls didn't put two and two together already.

"But there was a jelly fish!" Naruto sputtered, honestly, it was not enough to make him go straight, but Shikamaru was acting like a PMS-ing, "Sasuke-searching" Sakura.

Shikamaru made sure he punched Naruto in the head hard enough to sting.

"In the future..." Shikamaru shook, "I'D RATHER BE STUNG BY A JELLYFISH!"

_- _

**O The Marketplace of the Hidden Village Konoha O**

The sky shuddered and threatened rain. 

Almost everyone held an umbrella under their arm, turning to the sky, as if would start to weep but it still held a strangely hopeful, blue hue.

Sasuke walked the streets of Konoha with weight in his stride, his steps were heavy and spoke volumes. His smile was wide and his head was high. The very houses of Konoha seemed to be made of paper in his presence, fragile and faded beside the darkening man. It was as if the hidden village had paled in nervousness, villagers passing through without their regular and jovial chorus. When she caught his eye, Sasuke cut through the crowds, like a blade through taunt fabric.

Konoha was no match for Sasuke, he would always be faster, stronger, and most of all, more selfish and willing to sacrifice.

Without Naruto to oppose him, there was nothing to keep the power mad avenger from abusing his returned title of Uchiha heir. There wasn't even a smudge of shame or covertness in Sasuke's stance when the person he was looking for approached him.

"What are you doing, Uchiha?" The voice was stern and unwavering.

She had not one weapon, but she was a powerful opponent.

Unfortunately for her, not one he needed to worry about at all.

"Sakura," Sasuke smiled a bit, how amusing irony was.

She once stalked him across Konoha, and now he had to find her hiding from him to see if she would dare speak the same words she wrote to him with such shamelessness.

"It's not like you to be so mean, I got your letter. What would Seiji say?"

At that moment Sakura regained her lost voice, "you're a monster!"

"Seiji's needs to learn the Uchiha ways if he wants to become the Hokage he claims to want to be."

"When—" Sakura struggled, "—Naruto finds out what you're doing, you'll—you'll regret it."

Sasuke folded his arms, as if waiting for a stuttering, old rambler to finish his story out of pity.

Sakura shouted then and he tried really hard to stifle his laugh. "HE'LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT!"

"Regret? I bet you wanted to say suffer?" Sasuke body began to rock with laughter, he had to hold his body to prevent himself from shaking out of control. Beads of tears began to produce from the corner of his eyes. There was little to no regret in the body and expression of Sasuke Uchiha. If anything, he seemed more himself and less restrained.

His arms loose and kinetic. His eyes more light and less shadowy.

The relief from Naruto's absence was clear. It sickened Sakura that Sasuke would actually be relieved that his golden friend was no longer by his side. Someone who cared for and supported, regardless of Sasuke's cruelty. As the two men aged it seemed that Sasuke had only grown to polarize and divide from Naruto, like oil and water.

"You're going to threaten me with that? I was expecting a fight! More competition! I guess Iruka seems to be the only one brave—no, stupid enough to follow his word." Sasuke regained his regal posture, one that Sakura once adored was wrenching the liquid from her stomach. "Apparently that's all that everyone seems to threaten me with these days."

Sasuke brushed back his hair, "there isn't one thing I have done that I have regretted."

"Isn't Naruto your friend?" Sakura asked with the last remains of empathy for her once most respected person drained.

"Yes, Naruto is my best friend." Sasuke responded jovially. "He's like second father to my son and he takes care of my wife without taking advantage or her or the Uchiha name... He's like my brother!" There was more bite in those words than she had ever heard from Sasuke in all the years she had known him, more than jealousy. There was something more to Sasuke than hatred. "And, if he's my best friend he'll be happy for me and support me as he always has."

"YOU SPOILED BRAT!" Sakura shouted, there was nothing more to say. Nothing would reach Sasuke.

Naruto wasn't here. Naruto wasn't here to fix Sasuke...

"You don't understand, Sakura." Sasuke spoke in utter seriousness. "Naruto... He cares too much..."

Sasuke left his once comrade, without looking back.

He had nothing to hold him back.

_-_

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* * *

**TBC**

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**Author's Note:**

OH MAN! HOW LATE WAS THIS!

APOLOGIZES TO YOU ALL!

I hope this can be concluded soon and somehow. I greatly apologize for it's lateness. So shout outs to: kissama, Bezeerc, Shikamaru-Naruto13, Shinigami, Ayumi666, darkneko666, azurefirewulf, Myaka Uchiha, fuu09, goldchild...

Sorry, it wasn't so obvious and less cannon. So props to Haru for actually getting it. And, yes we can be friends.

PLEASE HARASS ME TO UPDATE or just to check up on story progress! I have a message button on my userpage, also feel free to harass me through reviews. Harassment is okay... Flaming, within reason.

R&R Lovelies. You know you wanna.


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